Quote of the Week

THIS IS THE NEXT AMERICAN REVOLUTION
"We are at a stage in human history that is as monumental as changing from a hunter/gatherer society to an agricultural society and from an agricultural society to and industrial society. Where we're headed now will be different because we have exhausted planetary space and human space for us to continue to look at things through the Cartesian measurement of material things. We need to face the way we used the world for our gains, pleasures, satisfactions. This is the way we evolve to a higher stage of humanity. And unless we want to live in terror for the rest of our lives, we need to change our view about acquiring things. We have the opportunity to take a great leap forward in these very challenging times. We need to change our institutions and ourselves. We need to seize opportunities. We need to launch our imaginations beyond the thinking of the past. We need to discern who we are and expand on our humanness and sacredness. That's how we change the world, which happens because WE will be the change."

Dr. Grace Lee Boggs, 93, a long-time Detroit political and labor activist, author, and philosopher.


You say you want a revolution?


On the subject of localization:

The area I live in is about 30 years behind everything and doesn't show any signs of making much of a change in thought. City councils and the general population are still sticking with their outmoded ideas of industrial growth, government aid and big-brotherism. People attempting to make changes are cut off by foolish regulations and those in positions of power who have their heads in the sand. They want everything to be the same way it "always has been." Trouble with that is it hasn't always been this way.

I illustrate my point by my experience with our desire to put up a wind generator in our back yard along the river. Although it would not be 50 feet tall nor would it be unsightly, the planning people don't like the idea because "nobody's ever done it." Well, gee, folks, how about letting us try?

There are some farmer's markets in the area, held for 3 hours twice a week but it isn't always possible to get to them.

Even the idea of improving the stretch of river to encourage canoeists and kayakers was removed from consideration by our local "park board." They resisted the idea of letting recreational kayakers dry-camp at the park below the dam. Their reasoning is unclear to me. When a position came open on the board, the city council made sure that a progressive didn't get that seat. Rather, the brother of a council member was appointed and tipped the balance back to"same shit different year." I had planned on participating with the Water Trail project along with donating a 19 acre piece of transitional woodland to the city for use as a nature reserve but, with the change in the board's membership, have abandoned both ideas. The initial surveys for the WT were done over a year ago and met with approval by the state body that is in charge of such things. Instead of taking what was offered by the state and other towns along the river who have participated in this project (to their benefit, I must say) our park board dropped the ball and rejected the project by one vote. This was to the city council's liking as they prefer not to do anything that might be progressive. A friend and I have spoken of this matter and he, who is a professor emeritus of wildlife ecology at ISU, actually became so incensed that he moved clear out of town and 20 miles upriver. He requested that I be put on the board to keep the project going but, as is usual here, I am considered to be an extremist and troublemaker.

Maybe, when the whole economy tanks and people begin leaving in droves, the city councils will pull their head from their asses. We won't stay here after the kids are grown. I don't know yet where we will go but there must be someplace better than this.